Good Morning!

Well thankfully it is Friday. Amazing how after a long weekend the days that follow seem to drag. Today is our donut day and I’m keeping my fingers crosses that all munchkins will remain out of the air and only in the tight little fists and belly’s of my kidlets!

I’ve been thinking about perspective and how it is so interesting how one persons perspective can be totally different then an other’s. For example, all my kids are on summer vacation. We had made plans this week to go to an outdoor park. As the rain was pouring my perspective as a mommy who was looking forward to getting out of the house, and chatting with a friend, perceived the rain as an inconvenience. As I was talking to briefly talking to an acquaintance, she commented on how happy she was for the rain. It was providing nourishment for her beloved garden. I walked away from that moment with a new appreciation for how God sees things. 

In His infinite wisdom God sees everything. He has the scoop on the big picture. When I react and grumble in the situations that life brings, I have often tried to console or justify to myself that if I only had the big picture my perspective would be different. Have you ever found yourself doing this?

Paul was writing to the Corinthians and said this:

2 Corinthians 1:12 (The Message)

Good Morning!

I have questions about prayer.  Do you? Why in a crisis do we all pray?  Why do we get others to pray?  Are prayers of the masses answered quicker then the prayers of one?  Does God get bombarded with prayers from a group and somehow we feel like His attention will be turned to our matter at hand.  These are questions that I have grappled with for a long time.

I realized though that my questions about prayer have deterred me in the past from talking to God.  My questions have been used by Satan, the angel of light as a means from keeping me from talking to my Father.  Can you think of a time when your questions may have kept you from going right to the source of your queries? 

So I started to think about the things I know to be true about prayer.  This is what I know:

• God hears me, always!  He never tunes me out. 
• He does not require a scripted entry to prayer. 
• He does not require a sacrifice to speak to Him. 
• I can talk to Him whenever and wherever I am and my prayers are heard.
• His grace covers all my words, spoken and unspoken.  He knows my thoughts but longs for me to share them with Him. 
• A relationship is what God wants. 
• My prayers do not have to be solemn; I can be joyful. 
• I do not have to know what I am feeling in order to pray. 
• My words do not have to sound perfect.  My thoughts do not need to be coherent.  My emotions do not have to be intact.

I am learning that the Lord wants to share in all my things… my good, bad, and ugly moments.

Today I am thankful for a God whose ears are never unavailable and who is wanting and waiting to hear my voice.  David kind of echoes my thoughts in this Psalm, so reassuring to know that others have had the same questions!

Psalm 66:18-20 (The Message)
    All believers, come here and listen, 
      let me tell you what God did for me. 
   I called out to Him with my mouth, 
      my tongue shaped the sounds of music. 
   If I had been cozy with evil, 
      the Lord would never have listened. 
   But He most surely did listen; 
      He came on the double when He heard my prayer. 
   Blessed be God: He didn’t turn a deaf ear, 
      He stayed with me, loyal in His love.

Unique, special, one of a kind…aren’t these characteristics we all want to consider ourselves?  At some level we crave uniqueness, but when a difference such as a physical difference is recognized many of us automatically feel uneasy.  Strange, but as humans I think we are wired that way.  Could it be fear?  Only God can fill the need we are craving when it comes to our uniqueness. 

As I was thinking about difference today I was looking in the Bible for verses that would help me understand difference the way Jesus sees it.  I love this passage when looking at it from the perspective of uniqueness.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (The Message)

God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful:

   wise counsel

   clear understanding

   simple trust

   healing the sick

   miraculous acts

   proclamation

   distinguishing between spirits

   tongues

   interpretation of tongues.

 All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God.  He decides who gets what, and when.

Wow, isn’t that exciting!  We are all given something that shows who God is!  Everyone! And in the Bible it says, “the variety is WONDERFUL”!  So shouldn’t we as followers of Jesus start to embrace the differences we are all uniquely given by the Creator of the Universe?  I have a friend who says we are all Designer Originals!  Do you feel like a designer original?  Do you love others as designer originals? 

Thank you Lord for your reminder today of your plans for all our differences.  Please remind me of your love of differences and help me demonstrate this love to others.

Good Morning!

As a mom we have all experienced our children asking the question why. Why is the sky blue?  Why do the streetlights come on before bedtime?  Why can’t I cut all my Barbie’s hair short?  These are just a sample of the “why” questions Karis asked me today.  So after about ten minutes of going back and forth with her, trying to give her reasons that her four year old brain would accept I found myself not making any ground with her.  She eventually told me she did not like the reasons I had given her and wanted a different reason.  In that moment I was annoyed.  She should just listen and accept what I am saying because I am her mother and know better then her.  This was my thinking as I made my way out of the room before I had to answer another question!  Well later that night as I was putting Coop to bed, it dawned on me that the Lord hears me ask Him a million times over for another reason, for a different answer then what I was getting.  I quickly felt lovingly convicted. 

My conversations of late with God have included my dissatisfaction with being in the States right now.  My brother and his wife are about to have their first child and the thirteen-hour difference in the roads that lead from my house to theirs has been on my mind.  I wanted the Lord to give me a difference reason then Rob’s job that has taken us so far away from home, away from knowing my brother’s child and my children from having a relationship with their only cousin. The reasons I had were not good enough for me.  So just as Karis was relentless with me earlier today I realized the Lord hears those exact same disapproving responses, but from me.  Now it is at times like these where I can get down on myself.  I should know better then to question God.  I have such weak faith, but you know I realized tonight that I have bought into Satan’s lies, thinking that shaming myself is anything but from Satan.  God will listen to my requests a million times over.  He will continue to love me when I question things.  He is not interested in blind obedience, but in a relationship with me.

So friends, when you are asked ” why” a million times tomorrow, and when you feel like all your conversations with the Lord are asking for other reasons, please remember that the God who created you, who gave you your personality wants a relationship with you, and He will never cast you aside because of those questions.

I thought this was kind of neat, I looked up the word why and in the New International Version of the Bible it appears 502 times.  It’s good to know the men and women who wrote the Bible also asked the question, and wanted different reasons for the situations they were encountering.  Our why questions and pleas for different reasons are not new!

“Thank you Lord for the reminders of your endless love towards us, even in the midst of our questions, our “whys”, you are steadfast and remain true.  Asking for different reasons will never deter your love for me!”

Happy Friday Friends!

We love Fridays in our home and today was Ry’s official last day of grade one. As I was driving with Karis and Cooper in the van donuts started flying. You see every Friday we would get donuts on the way home from school to celebrate the end of the week and the beginning of the weekend. After I realized I was not responsible for car pool today, Karis reminded me that we still needed to celebrate and that we had not yet picked up the donuts. As munchkins started hitting the rear view mirror as I was driving, Karis informed me she was trying to pass them to Cooper who was sitting in front of her in the van. Chocolate spheres are crashing against my windshield and all I could do was laugh.

The flying donut will live in my memory as a moment in time where my daughter was persevering, trying to get the munchkin to her little brother who was at this point “loudly” demanding his share of the delicious chocolate spheres. After my chuckle, Karis and I talked about other options that were available to her for a safer arrival of the donut. She quickly responded that the other options were not as fast as the catapulting option.

She made a great point, how many times do we have a task in front of us and chose the fastest way, the easiest way, the path of least resistance. I know I have, but it has been the times that I have chosen the plan that was challenging that I have learned the most, became dependant on the Lord and the times in my life that I would not change for anything. (well I still do wonder why a move to another country was necessary-hmmmmm stubbornness- but that’s for another day:)

I love this verse…..

Proverbs 19:21 (Amplified Bible)

Have a great weekend!

Hey There,

I often tell my kidlets that mommies have super powers.  Well today, my mommy super powers were unable to help my Ry from the feeling the sting of disappointment. Let me fill you in.

My Ry is one of the easiest going kids around. He has been looking forward to today. It is his second to last day of school, his buddy who is moving to the West coast was coming over for a play date and he had his baseball party scheduled for tonight. Well that all changed when the school called this morning to tell me he had been sick and needed to be picked up. My heart sank for him as I knew his little heart was breaking as his plans were changing and he had no control over it.

As I was thinking about how the day had just been altered I began praying about how I would answer his questions and help him deal with his disappointment.  Now wouldn’t you agree that as mom’s we try our hardest to keep from disappointing our children. If I could shelter my kids from heartbreak and heartache that accompanies disappointment I would. Today I realized my super mommy powers were not going to be able to help at all. Disappointment had robbed my boy today and all I could do was try to help him through it.

Well I did not have any huge revelation, and since arriving home he is trying to convince me he is okay and is well enough to see his friend. The tears that have been shed today are just the beginning. Disappointment in life, in people, in circumstances are inevitable but here are some words that are so encouraging, for my son who’s buddy is moving away and hopefully for you too.

Paul wrote in the book of Romans:

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

 Romans 5- The Message

So as this mommy helps her seven year old endure today, I have chosen to put my faith in our God who loves Ry more then I and who knew that today would be an opportunity for my little man, His precious child to learn that even though disappointment will come God remains the same. 

I wonder how have you dealt with disappointment?

Hey Everyone!

 22 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. ( The Message)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.Galatians 5:21-23 (New International Version)

I was thinking about self control today as I our my mid week has brought my preschooler home for summer holidays and our raising second grader will be finished school on Friday. Self control something I am praying for as summer quickly approaches and all three of our kidlets are home. There is definitely something that helps keep a mommy sane when school is in session

Hey There,

Good morning. As I sit to write, my mind is spinning around in a million different directions. Today there are five events that need to be attended to for our two oldest kidlets and this mama is tired..and its only 10 am. Details, details..I’m just afraid with so much going on I going to forget something. Does that happen to you?

My weekend was fantastic. I spent it with four of the smartest woman I know and I am so honored to say they are in my family. As we sat at the conference which was entitled, “Infinate Grace” we began to see why God has brought us all together. There were thoughts established about issues in our life that God was clearly bringing to our attention. Discussions about the past that were helpful in the progression of healing hurting hearts, and a lot of laughter, I had a great time!

As I left Florida on Sunday I became acutely aware of my “detail deficit disorder”. I told you about my arrival to the airport fourteen hours early on Thursday. Well on my return, I did arrive on time for my flight, however I did not read the rules of the flight and as the TSA guard was emptying out the contents on my makeup bag, only to be thrown into the trash, I was reminded again of my lack of attention to detail. Items that had been purchased only hours earlier where being thrown away and as I tried negotiating with him I realized the my attempts to keep my things were only putting me in jeopardy of not making my flight.

As I talked to Rob on the phone, no actually I was complaining I realized that it was my responsibility to know and understand the rules of the air and I really had no one to blame but myself. Don’t you hate that, knowing full well that decisions you made ended up causing a problem! Yahhhh, so that was my flight home.

As I thought about my lack of attention to detail as I was running out the door, makeup less heading to the store to refill my makeup bag, I was reminded that the God of the Universe, does not forget any detail of my life or yours. 

So friends from this mascara free mama I thought it might be a great reminder to us all and an encouragement to someone to be reminded that in times of overwhelming detailed filled days, rest in knowing that the God who created you, who knows the number of hairs on your head, has got you covered and we will never experience “detail deficit disorder” from Him.

David said it all when he wrote this Psalm……!

Psalm 139

 1 O LORD, you have searched me 
       and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; 
       you perceive my thoughts from afar.

 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; 
       you are familiar with all my ways.

 4 Before a word is on my tongue 
       you know it completely, O LORD.

 5 You hem me in—behind and before; 
       you have laid your hand upon me.

 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, 
       too lofty for me to attain.

 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? 
       Where can I flee from your presence?

 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; 
       if I make my bed in the depths, ^[a] you are there.

 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, 
       if I settle on the far side of the sea,

 10 even there your hand will guide me, 
       your right hand will hold me fast.

 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me 
       and the light become night around me,”

 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; 
       the night will shine like the day, 
       for darkness is as light to you.

 13 For you created my inmost being; 
       you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
       your works are wonderful, 
       I know that full well.

 15 My frame was not hidden from you 
       when I was made in the secret place. 
       When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. 
       All the days ordained for me 
       were written in your book 
       before one of them came to be.

 17 How precious to ^[b] me are your thoughts, O God! 
       How vast is the sum of them!

 18 Were I to count them, 
       they would outnumber the grains of sand. 
       When I awake, 
       I am still with you.

 19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! 
       Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

 20 They speak of you with evil intent; 
       your adversaries misuse your name.

 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, 
       and abhor those who rise up against you?

 22 I have nothing but hatred for them; 
       I count them my enemies.

 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; 
       test me and know my anxious thoughts.

 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, 
       and lead me in the way everlasting.

Have a terrific day!

Hey guys,

If you know me you will know that I am not a detail oriented person. I am the big picture girl, I see the forest not the trees. Yesterday was no exception. My day began as I woke up early,  skipped my coffee and set out in the car for the airport.  I had been looking forward to this day, you see I was on my way to have a fantastic weekend with my mom, cousin and aunt. We were going to a conference we had attended years prior and it always was a highlight for me. You can imagine my surprise when I arrived at the airport to find out my flight was scheduled for 8:57 “pm,” not “am”. Wow, “am”, vs “pm”, really is an important detail and one which dramatically changed the course of my day. So I found myself with a lot of time on my hands as my three hour trip to Florida has now turned into a six hour trip.

Details, yah, important, yet something my brain seems to skip over on a daily basis. As I was finally in the air on my first of two planes I started thinking about “faith”. I was putting my life into the hands of two pilots today. Men I had never met, on a flying machine that was made of a bucket of bolts. Faith, believing in something unseen. My faith in the pilots, their ability to do there job and a machine that was soaring in the air without any strings is definelty a leap of faith. So why I thought is it so difficult for people to believe in God? There is evidence of his handiwork, just look outside your window. There is historical documentation of Jesus life..and there can be evidence in your life to if you only choose to believe. 

My friends, have you chosen to believe. The faith I have in the airplane and pilots is based on my past experiences with them.  I have flown several times and know through my experiences that the bucket of bolts will get me in the air, keep me there and the pilots will get me to my destination in one piece. The same is true with God. Have you taken your leap of faith to trust that the God who created this world, the God who sent his son to die for you wants a relationship with you. He is waiting patiently…will you take that leap of faith today.

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Mathew 17:20 (NIV)

Well my friends, have a great weekend, I am excited about what I will be learning these next couple days.

Talk to you all soon,

Tatum

Today I have been thinking about birds.  Yes, birds.  I have been watching them flutter around our yard and started thinking about mama birds. There are a couple nests in the trees I have been watching and without fail everyday, the mama brings food for her little hatchlings.  I started to think about if I were a mama bird and how anxious I would be to have to find food on a daily basis.  (The things I think about…please don’t be scared.) 

The “Do Not Worry” verses came to mind this morning as I was wondering about a bank transfer I had made the previous day and began worrying about the consequences of my electronic banking if something had gone wrong.  You see since moving here to NC, we are now living on one income, something we have never done, and was not in our plan. However, God has used this newfound circumstance in my life to continuously remind me that He will provide everything we need.  As I am learning to really rely on God for the details of my life I have enjoyed watching my bird friends and being reminded through their feathery ways, that God loves me so much more then the birds, and yet He provides for them.  So why should I worry.  Easier said than done, I know, but I am purposefully looking for the birds when I start to worry about life.  My friends, the birds that have taken residence in our yard have become daily reminders of God’s love for me.

So, when you start to stress about finances, jobs, bills, clothing, relationships, and health problems…remember to look out your window.  I am sure a feathered friend is close by and she will remind you of how much God loves you and that provision is in the hand of your Almighty God!

Do Not Worry

Matthew 6: 25-31

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’